Possessed [Closed]

[Oort]

It wasn't too hard to keep up with the vampire, not that he actually wanted to be that close to a vampire with red eyes. They were the hungry ones. Elizabeth, however, had no issue getting close. Matthew wasn't sure that she needed to actually run up the stairs, she was probably able to just drift up through the air. or at least, Matthew liked to imagine she could. In all the ghost films, the ghost was never exactly bound by rules like gravity, but, in truth, he had never seen her do anything that would suggest she could.


Elizabeth watched the vampire as she guzzled blood like a hyperactive teen guzzles soft drinks. It was interesting, seeing a starving vampire drink. It was unlike anything human. Completely animal. When she was finished with the first drink, she moved onto her second - a bit more civilised this time. Then Matthew got to the door. Good timing. Had he arrived sooner, his blood may have been added to the mug she was now drinking from.


He highly expected that mug wasn't hot chocolate. He wished it was, but he knew what it probably really was.


"What just happened, that doesn't bother you?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes. Ghosts and vampires didn't usually get on well together - although he wasn't certain that vampire and ghost were exactly getting on - what they had just seen was certainly unusual.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lucia was more composed with the cup of blood in her hands, although she imagined she didn’t look it. She’d just run up the stairs, and there was spilt blood from the bag on her skin and clothing.


She sipped at the blood as the hunter all but yelled at her, as if it were her fault. “Of course it bothers me, as much as it should bother you,” he who chose to bind himself to a ghost. It didn’t explain why he was in her office. They’d both witnessed something terribly upsetting and confusing, but neither of them knew any more than the other.


“I’ve told you what I know,” she explained to him, “I’m going to look into it further, as you should do,” the thought that they ought to work on it together crossed her minds when the words came out, but that seemed immediately foolish. He had just tried to kill her, after all. “But I have an office building to clean up and repair before my normal employees come in, and as I said, five years of financing information to save.” Although, a glance at her bag told her that wasn’t happening. She hoped that the back-up hard drive had updated information.


She sipped from the cup as Dustin came in, panting from his own run, “You guys…suck…”


Lucia smirked at him, “Duh.”


And Dustin hated her more as he immediately got the meaning of her comment.

 

[Oort]

Burning into him, Matthew could feel eyes that no-one else could. Judging him. She wanted him to do something, and she didn't even have to say what for him to know, but she was going to say it anyway.


"Work with the vampire," Elizabeth demanded, folding her arms, "you know it's the most efficient strategy,"


"No, God no," he retorted, barely sparing a thought for what this must look like to the others. Even though he argued the fact, he knew it would be the most effective strategy, but his gut told him nothing good could come of working with his vampire. Then, a feeling from another part of his body, that couldn't actually have thoughts - like a knee or something - told him he actually wanted to work with a vampire. That it would be fun. With a ghost pulling him one way, his head joining in with the ghost, his gut pulling him in the other direction, and his knee yanking in a direction that was vaguely the same as the ghost and the head, but fuelled by fun instead of logic, it was safe to say he was feeling a bit torn.


"Work with her or I'll sing merry sea shanties in your ear throughout the night. Every night."


"Wow, you're serious about this."


"Deadly." Elizabeth, being incorporeal, didn't have many options to threaten Matthew with, but, somehow, her threats were far more frightening than anything a physical being could offer. Although, why it had to be sea shanties, Matthew would perhaps never know.


"We should work together to figure this mystery out. After all three heads - "


"Four heads," Elizabeth interrupted, ever eager to stay involved.


"-Four heads work better than three or one."

 

[Lucyfer]

Lucia listened to one side of the argument with interest, much as Dustin did. At least she wasn’t alone in being left out, and at least Matthew was around two people who understood he wasn’t insane. ‘Does he do this in public?’ If so, it was a miracle he was alive even this long. Or at least, wandering freely and not in an asylum.


“Dude, what is she saying?” Dustin asked, and was given an answer. His mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”


Lucia seemed to find it amusing. She laughed into her cup and then drew it away. She shook her head as if the idea were preposterous, and walked to her desk. She started to unzip her bag as she said, “I don’t even know your names,” she wasn’t sure if that would fix matters. It would give her insight into them. If she’d heard of these hunters, she might know if they were accustomed to using deception.


Dustin already indicated that such might be the case in his suit and tie.


Lucia pulled the laptop out of its bag and looked it over, looked at the fluid leaking that indicated the battery had been pierced. No matter. As she talked, she started to pull out a small screwdriver from within her desk, as if this wasn’t the first time she’d had to deal with laptop issues. “It’s the ghost that is suggesting this, isn’t it?” It was a shame they couldn’t actually interact with this world. “What is your full name?” She was speaking to the ghost, rather than to the hunter, though she knew the hunter would have to answer for her. Ghosts sometimes had reputations that vampires knew of. One vampire in particular knew of a ghost from Egypt that was hunting him down with a vengeance. Of course, the two of them had been brothers in life, and the vampire may or may not have killed his brother. The stories varied depending on who was asked.


It seemed rude to speak ‘about’ her, though, or ask the hunter, “And why does this concern you so much?” That was the more interesting part—why a ghost was concerned with this activity. “Please do not…paraphrase her words too much, hunter.”

 

[Oort]

Only Matthew could see the large grin on the face of the ghost who was being involved so much more than she ever usually was, but not even he could comprehend the intense joy raging inside her. Not even the negative reactions to her idea seemed to deter the happiness that burned inside. Even though the vampire indicated she wanted their names, Dustin hadn't offered his, probably because of how little he liked the idea.


"I'm Matthew, he's Dustin," he said, throwing his thumb in the direction of his companion, "and the ghost's name is Elizabeth..."


"Sawn, glad you remembered," Elizabeth sighed, the grin fading.


"Sawn. Elizabeth Sawn."


"Vampire hunter extraordinaire."


"That is not part of your name."


"Yes it is."


"Ugh, fine. Elizabeth Sawn, Vampire hunter extraordinaire."


In silence, Matthew watched while Elizabeth contemplated her reasons for wanting to find out more about that ghost-vampire combo. Perhaps it was because, even though she had convinced herself otherwise, she wanted to be able to control those she was bound with. Not just Matthew, perhaps she wanted to run off and take someone else's body without any regard for their life, or maybe she did want to take the body of a vampire - after all, what good were they using that body for? Or maybe it was just mild curiosity that drove her to wish to seek out more. Harold probably wasn't the only one like that. He couldn't be.


"Tell her... tell her my concerns lie with the community beyond the veil, for something must be amiss for a stroke victim to desire power through evil," she eventually said.


"Can I say that, but less pompous? Talking like that makes you sound weird," he pointed out.


"If you must."


"She says she's worried about what's going on with all the ghosts if old guys suddenly want to become the next dark lords."


"Nice job at not paraphrasing."

 

[Lucyfer]

The Hunters first introduced themselves, and Lucia nodded as the names were given. The battery in her laptop was utterly destroyed, but as she moved the pieces about, she was pleased to discover that the hard drive actually appeared to be intact. She smiled as she gently removed it from the laptop.


She looked up when Elizabeth’s title was added to her name, evidently not buying it. “Never heard of you.” She informed Elizabeth. It was true—she hadn’t. They had clearly never crossed paths before, not in Elizabeth’s life, nor as a ghost. Perhaps she didn’t usually pick competent hunters.


There was a pause before Elizabeth provided an answer—or else she said so much that Matthew had to ask about paraphrasing. The answer was amusing, “That’s really strange?” Dustin couldn’t help but motion to Lucia, “I mean, we have a dark lady here—and how old are you, anyway?” He figured vampires were the obvious example of evil old men and women.


“2458 years, 2459 in April. While we're on the topic of introductions, I am Lucia Valerius Ambusta," gods, it had been a while since she said that, hadn't it? She didn't usually introduce herself by birth name, but it seemed appropriate.


Dustin’s mouth fell open. He’d never met a vampire that old. He wasn't sure if he even believed her. “Holy hell….”


“Thank you,” she took it as a compliment, yet another difference between vampires and humans. The women liked to boast of their age. It wasn’t like they were looking any worse. Quite the contrary. “If we are going to do this, then I am going to need you two to not assault any vampires or werewolves that do not first attack you.”


“We’re hunters, it’s—”


“Silence.” The command was in her voice. Dustin went silent. “I have a network of allies I can use, but none of them will help me if they find out I am assisting hunters that are actively killing vampires. Am I clear? You can go back to your jobs when we learn what’s going on and solve it, since I’m sure you two have oh-so many reasons to detest my kind.” That’s how most hunters were, blinded by personal reasons and past harm. They sought a revenge they could never truly have, and took innocent lives in the process.


Under Dustin’s glare, she added, “I will also refrain from harming any hunters if they do not first attack me.”

 

[Oort]

Saying Elizabeth looked offended would be a drastic understatement of what expression was currently plastered on her face. It was like someone had told her that her cat was dead and they had just killed it.


"She's never heard of me?" she breathed, "I- I was famous."


"Were you?" Matthew asked, raising his eyebrows. Dustin was talking to the vampire - Lucia - about something Matthew wasn't listening to, it probably wasn't important anyway.


"Yes, everyone knew about hunters in my day and we were like the town heroes. Being one of the best hunters of the time, I was known quite well."


"Maybe she'd just never been to your active area in your time," Matthew offered hopefully, but only got an annoyed grumble in response.


Matthew tuned out Elizabeth to listen to Lucia and Dustin, who was telling them not to attack any monsters unless they attacked first. While Dustin seemed to think this was a crazy idea, Matthew couldn't help but agree. It was their job to hunt vampires and werewolves, but - at this moment - these ghost-vampire combos were probably more dangerous and, so far, 100% of all vampires and werewolves they had asked about the issue considered the vampire-ghosts more dangerous than hunters.


"Deal," Matthew agreed for the both of them.

 

[Lucyfer]

Dustin looked to Matthew with his mouth agape, but then he sighed. He still couldn’t speak. Lucia remedied that, then, “You may speak.”


“Okay,” Dustin said, then added, “Fine. We’ll play things your way.” He wasn’t happy about it, but he supposed if a vampire, a ghost, and a hunter were all willing to work together, they might actually be facing something dangerous. Dustin couldn’t see it that way. He saw it as good that the bloodsuckers were getting possessed.


Lucia opened one of the drawers of her desk and drew out two business cards. She walked around her desk and held them out, one in either hand, “My contact information is on here,” the name was Valeria Adair.


Dustin walked forward to take one of the cards, though it was evident he didn’t care to be that close to the vampire outside of a combat situation. He snapped one card from her fingers and stepped back quickly. “I will alert the vampires and werewolves in this area to your presence, and not to harm you. I am afraid I am going to be busy most of the night, but I will task others with looking into this situation. Do the two of you have a place to stay?”


If they didn’t, she could get them a room at the Axis Mundi, one of her hotels in this town, and the one she would personally be staying at. She had a penthouse there, of course, with metal shutters on the windows to keep the sun out. Wealth had its perks. “Er…sort of.” Not really.


Lucia sighed, “Then call me when you require a place. I can set you up in the Axis Mundi.”

 

[Oort]

Elizabeth watched Lucia as she used her voice to control others, it was an interesting power. To not only have a voice, but to be able to use it beyond what anyone else could. Sure people had been able to control others with merely their voice, but not this literally. It was fascinating. She would have been impressed were she not so sour.


"Can we get a different vampire?" She asked.


For a moment, Matthew had forgotten all about Elizabeth. He had pushed her to the back of his mind while he interacted with the real world. He didn't think about her being upset about the vampire not knowing her.


"One that knows me," she added.


"Really? You're that shallow?" he asked.


"...Yes," she muttered.


"Wow. what a shame, suck it up."


He shook his mind to ignore Elizabeth, he had more important matters to think about with the living... well, one of them was. He took the card Lucia offered them and looked at the information on them, taking it all in. As Dustin said, they sort of had a place to live. Being a hunter wasn't exactly the most well paid job. Or paid at all, really.


"Thanks," he said pocketing the card.

 

[Lucyfer]

The ghost was apparently upset about something, but what it was, Lucia wasn’t told. The cards were taken, and the two hunters seemed pacified for the moment. “You’re welcome. Now,” she made a motion towards her office door. “I do have a lot of work.”


“But—”


“If you wish to see me, I will be in the Axis Mundi by daybreak. I don’t sleep, so,” a simple shrug, the message clear. If they wanted to see her there, they would be allowed to do so. “You two should do your own investigations into this matter.”


Lucia had people to call. Reginald, Julian, and that werewolf she worked alongside. The two of them kept peace between the vampires and werewolves, and kept them from being too well known. There were rules for living in this area, and any area that Lucia had sway in. Many of the older vampires were starting to pick up on that, and saw how they could prosper.


Some considered it too difficult, or else they were just too egomaniacal to care about trying to live alongside humans and werewolves. In some places, vampires and werewolves were still in open war. Not here. Lucia didn’t allow it, and she had executed her own for trying to start trouble with the werewolves.


Dustin glanced to Matthew. “I guess we can try to figure some things out,” he spoke slowly, hoping Matthew or Elizabeth might have some idea of where to begin since, apparently, the vampiress wanted to tend to her business…her actual, human-like, business.

 

[Oort]

How could a vampire be so high profile? Normally, they just hide in the streets and drain the blood from the odd, unfortunate passer by. This one ran hotels and had important work; real life stuff. He didn't even have much real life stuff. It was weird. Had they really thought it really been a good idea to go after such a well known vampire? Probably not. Perhaps that was her safety net... although her words seemed to be able to do that quite well.

They left the vampire to continue her work and Matthew couldn't help ponder the implications

of ghosts binding to vampires. He didn't really want to think about all of them, they were scary. For some reason, he was quite neutral to the idea of working with a vampire, perhaps he should be more concerned by it.


"Maybe we can find some more vampire ghosts in this world while Elizabeth goes and tries and finds out what's going on in the ghost world," Matthew suggested, glancing over to Elizabeth, whose ears pricked up at the mention of her own name, or the mention of the ghost world, but she remained silent, appearing to be thinking of something. It was probably something important, so Matthew decided it best not to disturb her from her thoughts.

Why am I wearing these clothes?

she thought, it had been a question she regularly asked herself.

Had she died in them? She couldn't remember. They looked like the sort of clothes she may have been wearing when she died. A white tunic and simple grey trousers under a dark cloak. Her belt was adorned with ghostly blades that she could have had on her when she died. She didn't have a ghostly bow, however, and she could distinctly remember not having a bow with her when she died. Maybe that bow would have saved her life, or maybe it wouldn't have. She would never know, for she was very dead. Can I use these weapons? she asked herself, her ears pricking up at her own thought. It would certainly make things easier.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lucia waited until they were gone. Then, she collapsed into her own chair and started dialing numbers. The first was Reginald, who was agreeable. He went on to check on Julian. Then, she called Julian himself, and informed him of the situation with Maximus. She suggested that Mikael might have been possessed by a ghost, and urged him to keep trying to get in touch with Stephanos.


Then, she called up people who agreed to get to work on the wreckage outside quickly.


Once that was done, she switched her cell onto speaker and dialed her werewolf friend. She imagined she would actually have to call him to meet with her in person, so she walked to the closet in her office that kept some of her formal attire—she could never be unprepared for a meeting, and her current dress was in tatters. Highly inappropriate.


If she was to meet with the Alpha, she’d have to at least look put together. She was starting to feel better now that the wounds on her flesh had healed and blood was pulsing through her veins.


~***~


“Maybe,” Dustin agreed with Matthew’s thoughts, “But how are we gonna locate them?” They hadn’t even heard of them until now. “Oh! We should probably let other hunters know, and see if they’ve encountered anything like it.”


It was one way to start reaching out. Dustin took out his phone and began to type into it.


Found vampire-ghost hybrid.


Anyone else?


Vamps seem bothered by it.


He showed the text to Matthew then, “I can send this out to everyone I know. Maybe it’s a local thing,” a few other hunters ought to be in cities nearby, so they’d know pretty quickly if it was, in fact, a local phenomena. Perhaps they could find the source of it all. “Other than that, I guess we could try and hunt down more…or check the libraries for things like this happening in the past.”

 

[Oort]

Matthew clicked his tongue while he thought. Was it wise to tell all the hunters about this event? Some of them had some serious issues with vampires - hated them to the core - and might even see this as a good thing, especially since it bothered the vampires.


Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he turned his attention to the idea of going out to find more, or finding some information on this happening before.


"I've never heard of anything like this. It's something very different," Elizabeth commented, coming out of her own thoughts.


"Little birdie tells me we ain't going to find anything about these vampire-ghosts in any books. I guess our best bet is to find out if anyone else has heard about this then follow those leads," Matthew suggested.


"I'm not a bird," Elizabeth hissed.


"Little birdie has informed me that she does not appreciate being called little birdie."


"And yet you still call me so."


"If I'm suddenly dead, it means ghosts have mastered the art of killing real things."


Even though they should have been doing all they could to find more about the vampire-ghosts, Matthew couldn't help but want to desperately curl up in a ball and sleep for a thousand hours. He hadn't been tired at the start of the day - nor had he missed out on sleep - but between the fighting, the hunting, and discovering this madness, something in Matthew had decided he was incredibly tired.


"I think I'm going to sleep until we here some more about this," he said, rubbing his eyes.